Polar Spinel-Perovskite Interfaces:an atomistic study of Fe3O4(111)/SrTiO3(111) structure and functionality

Atomic resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy combined with ab initio electronic calculations are used to determine the structure and properties of the Fe 3 O 4 (111)/SrTiO 3 (111) polar interface. The interfacial structure and chemical composition are shown to be atomically sharp and of an octahedral Fe/SrO 3 nature. Band alignment across the interface pins the Fermi level in the vicinity of the conduction band of SrTiO 3 . Density functional theory calculations demonstrate very high spin-polarization of Fe 3 O 4 in the interface vicinity which suggests that this system may be an excellent candidate for spintronic applications.